President Trump said Friday that the U.S. is again talking with North Korean officials, a day after he canceled a June 12 denuclearization summit due to Pyongyang’s “hostility” toward his administration.
“We’re talking to them now,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House. “They very much want to do it. We’d like to do it. We’ll see what happens.”
The White House even left open the possibility Friday of dispatching a summit planning team to Singapore if the meeting is rescheduled.
“There are still a few hours left to decide,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. “If it takes place on June 12, we’ll be ready. If it takes place on July 12, we’ll be ready.”
Mr. Trump said North Korea released a “very nice statement” in response to his canceling the summit in Singapore. He said the meeting could even be put back on track for June 12.
In a statement Thursday night, a top North Korean official expressed Pyongyang’s willingness to meet with Mr. Trump “anytime and in any format.” The statement said North Korea is “open-minded in giving time and opportunity to the U.S.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that North Korean officials had stopped communicating with U.S. officials in recent days. The White House also said that North Korea stood up a U.S. advance team in Singapore last week for a meeting that was intended to work on preparations for the June 12 summit.
Asked if North Korea is playing games, Mr. Trump said, “Everybody plays games. You know that better than anybody.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said he spoke with Mr. Trump on Thursday, and the president feels as if North Korea was trying to manipulate him.
“The president feels like they’re playing him, so he brought it to an end, and we’ll see if we can reengage,” Mr. Graham told radio host Hugh Hewitt. “I personally believe, having talked to the president as of yesterday, that he’s going to bring this to conclusion in his first term. He’s made a decision to end the North Korean nuclear program. He wants to do it peacefully, if possible.”
• Sally Persons contributed to this story.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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